Lighting Strike
by JaxonGrae
Summary: Rose met Professor John Smith almost five years ago, and since then they've forged a unique friendship that has always teetered between platonic and something more. However, whatever may be has always been on the back burner in favor of trying to locate a notorious thief known only as The Doctor, a veritable ghost. But as they dig deeper, they learn nothing's what is seems...ever
1. pro

**DISCLAIMER: the one and only for this entire story...ready?...you sure?...ok, ok, here it is...I DON"T OWN DR. WHO!...**_**ahem...**_**anyway...enjoy the story...cheers!**

**Prologue**

** -**the doctor—

The sky was dark, stormy, and the threat of torrential rain was imminent. But this didn't seem to bother the man perched on top of the tall glass building, his black trench coat billowing out against the tempestuous wind. The faint trace of moonlight gleamed off his pearl white teeth when he grinned, his eyes glued to the night vision binoculars gripped tightly in his glove clad hand.

'You are _beautiful_.' he whispered, staring at the object in the building parallel to the one he was currently positioned on.

From his vantage point, he could plainly see the azul gem glittering under the golden glow of the emergency lighting. And, not for the first time, he wondered if this time would be different, if after all these years searching...oh how he hoped...the clock was, after all ticking, and he was didn't particularly want to be on the losing side of it...

Pulling the binoculars away from his face, his chocolate irises peered at it from behind their khol rim. He grinned. Replacing them back on his belt, he grabbed the grappling gun next to it, and aiming it at the adjacent roof, fired, letting the steel coil fly, tethering the two together. With a smirk, he grabbed the winch tightly and whispered,

'Right then, Allons-y!' Then he flew.


	2. One--NYS Newest DI

**One**

—NYS's DI Jones—

Rose was taking her lunch break when Professor John Smith came barreling through her door in a flurry of his long brown coat and slapped the daily paper down on the table in front of her, upsetting the spoonful of chili that was halfway from the bowl to her mouth, causing it to fall unceremoniously into her lap and across her white jeans.

'Rose have you _seen _the news!' he exuberantly asked, while she attempted to keep her temper at bay, slowly counting back from ten in her head. 'The Doctor has struck again!'

Casually wiping her jeans with a napkin and cursing the fact that she had decided to wear white, she pushed her bowl away from the edge of the table glancing daggers up at him expectantly. His eyes suddenly grew nervous as she flashed a tight, predatorial smile.

'And are you going to pay for my dry cleaning, John Smith?' she mused, her head cocked off to one side. His hazelnut eyes seemed to notice the brownish blob across her lap for the first time and he winced.

'Oops.'

'Yeah, _oops._' she issued flatly.

He shuffled on his feet, eyes not quite meeting hers as he mumbled a small 'sorry.' With a sigh, she motioned toward the vacant metal chair across from her, watching him flounce into it with glee, the stain on her jeans forgotten to him immediately. Oh well, she hardly expected anything less of him. Instead, his finger punctuated the paper, poking the headline several times with excitement.

'What is it this time?' she asked, dabbing her pants with water. Well the good thing about white was there was always bleach. She mentally shrugged, forgetting the incident as well, sipping her coffee alternatively.

'A large sapphire called the heart of the ocean.' He told her and she rose a brow.

'Heart of the Ocean, like as in from that movie the Titanic?' He snorted and rolled his eyes.

'God, no. Nothing like that! And for the record that was a _terrible _movie!' he cried, his voice highly indignant. Rose merely hid a knowing grin behind her mug, her eyes falling to him pointedly.

'You just don't like it cuz it made you tear up at the end.' she stated matter a factly, relishing the pretty shade of red that tipped his ears and traveled down his neck. He coughed uncomfortable, clearly done with their current topic. Rose decided to be merciful, and glanced over at the paper curiously.

'Okay, so what's the heart of the ocean then?'

'A sapphire about the size of your fist.' he told her, holding up said bawled fist. Rose glanced up at him.

'Really?' she asked in amazement.

'Yep.' he grinned, punctuating his 'p' as was he custom when he was particularly thrilled about something.

Gazing down at the paper, she appraised the large jewel that stared back at her, but the black and white image distorted the clearness of it and she frowned, not gleaning much from the photo.

'Yea, the picture doesn't really do it justice at _all_.' he agreed with her unspoken train of thought as though he'd plucked the thoughts right off the top of her head.

One would probably consider this weird normally, but he'd been doing this for the five years she'd known him and she'd grown accustomed to it, chalking the oddity up to him just being his eclectic self.

'So what's it value?' He picked up the paper, whipping out his black specs as he went.

'Uh, lets see...' he began, searching through the black and white letters. Seconds later an 'ahha!' fell from his mouth triumphantly and he pointed to a small paragraph boldly written across the thin parchment. '4.6 million US dollars.' he answered.

Rose hummed, studying the article more closely. Without looking, she reached up, pulling the glasses from his face despite protests from him, and perched them on the bridge of her nose, magnifying the small print.

'NSY reports that the international thief known as 'the doctor' has stolen the high profile jewel known as the Heart of the Ocean, a large sapphire, whose net worth is 4.6 million US dollars.' she read. 'The police say they have no new leads at this time, but it was reported that DI Jones is strongly looking into the matter. The DI issued a live statement at a press conference this morning in Trafalgar Square stating that she would be bringing this thief to justice, whatever the cost. 'Men like this think that they can evade the law and that there will be no consequences for their actions. My team and I, we aim to prove him wrong, and to remind all criminals out there that justice, no matter what, _always _prevails.'..Rose snorted.

'What sort of bunk is that anyway?' John asked, picking the thought right out of her mind again and saying it before she managed. One of these days, she'd have to ask him how he did that. In the meantime, she took a closer look at the sapphire.

'Who is this DI Jones anyway, I haven't heard of her before.' Rose mentioned, observing every line of the gem and committing them to memory. John shrugged, reaching over to steal some of her coffee, earning a scowl from Rose.

He didn't drink coffee normally, didn't even hardly _like _the stuff. No, it was only hers. It was a game with him that he'd grown fond of over the years that they'd known each other...how many times could he steal Rose Tyler's favorite drink without getting slapped. Usually he made it to four...sometimes, if he was particularly lucky, five...and there had been that one time he'd actually managed to get away with it _six _times, which was totally unheard of. Risk taker, that one.

Rose smacked his hand away instantly, earning both a hiss of pain and a babyish pout. She didn't bother hiding her smugness while she sipped her coffee triumphantly. He made her spill chili on her white pants, effectively ruining them for the day...today, he didn't even get one.

'I'm not really sure, actually.' he admitted, returning to the current topic while he attempted to shake the sting from his right hand, her smirk grew. 'From what I understand, she's new to the NSY and to being a DI. But, beyond that,' he shook his head, 'I don't really know much about her, not even her first name.'

Rose pondered this, chewing on the inside of her lip thoughtfully. This DI Jones seemed to mean business and that could very well spell trouble for the doctor if she was as tenacious as she sounded in the article. It almost appeared that she had, in essence, declared war on crime all encompassing, starting with the Doctor.

Rose respected the law and authority, she did, but she and John had been working on solving the on going mystery of the doctor ever since they'd known each other, and before that, individually. There had been several times, more then she could count any more, that they'd gotten close. But the doctor was a ghost, evasive and knew exactly how to blend and disappear back into the woodwork without a trace..._even _when you knew what you were looking for.

Now this new Detective Inspector had stepped onto the scene, declaring that she would bring the thief to justice, and that was all well and good and everything, but she'd be _damned _if she was going to allow a rookie to steal their thunder and crack their case wide open. It just wasn't gonna happen.

Her musings were broken by the strong feeling of being watched and she glanced up to find John staring at her intensely with those fathomless chocolate eyes. Eyes that were so warm and familiar to her and yet, so very distant and guarded from her. John Smith, the ultimate walking enigma and one of the only mysteries in her life that remained unsolved.

'You don't like the idea of this new player.' he guessed, though it wasn't a guess as much as a statement, a fact and she snorted, shaking her head.

'Not particularly, no.' she mused, biting her lip, then sighed. 'I foresee her being a problem.' she told him and he nodded agreeably, for once not a trace of playful mischief on his handsome face. They were quiet a long moment before John finally spoke up, voice low and serious.

'We could always get Mickey's help to keep us off her radar and any evidence we may find.' he suggested and Rose flinched subconsciously, knowing that it would look bad.

Mickey might be a good friend, and gave them access numerous time to the crime scenes the doctor had created, but he was still a cop, and still a keeper of law and order. He was still an advocate of criminal justice If he believed that this new DI could make a difference, he wouldn't allow them to hinder her progress. And, if they pushed the issue, he'd probably kick them off the unofficial 'find the doctor' task force permanently. No, that was most definitely not the way to go about it.

'Or, we could just ask for her file and get to know our rival a bit better.' he added. Rose beamed up at him and nodded.

'That's brilliant.' she commented, standing in a stretch. 'Got plans tonight?' she asked, already knowing what his answer would be. He flashed her a charming, heart wrenching grin that melted her from the inside out and said,

'Oh wellll, you know, there's this pesky crime scene I really need to visit and all and welll, I don't think you'd be too interested in gallivanting about, searching for clues that may or may not be there to begin with and wellll...then there's the possibility of it being dusty and you might get dirty and...'he motioned toward her already ruined attire, his eyes glittering with playful mischief that she loved as he added...'welll we all know how much you _love _that...'

Rose flashed a deceitful grin as she strode up to him, her hips lightly swaying while she grabbed his blue and brown swirled tie from within the confines of his pinstriped jacket, effectively silencing him when she tugged him closer.

'John.' she whispered, her voice more husky and sensual then he'd ever heard it before and he swallowed deeply, beginning to sweat while he managed to squeak out a small, shaky,

'Yea?'

Her grin widened, and she straightened his tie. Her eyes darkened while they unconsciously slipped toward his lips and she whispered,

'Shut-up.'

Then she was gone, stepping away from him like she'd never been there to begin with and the momentary suspense was instantly broken. His eyes narrowed, watching her sultry image completely dissipate while she dissolved into a fit of giggles.

'Oi, that wasn't very funny...or nice' he commented dryly and her giggles escalated into full blown laughter, leaving her doubled her over and clutching at her sides.

She stayed that way for several seconds, with him scowling down at her before she cleared her throat, calming herself little by little until she had some semblance of a straight face plastered against her skin. Rose nodded seriously.

'You're right, it wasn't funny...it was _hilarious_'

Like flipping a switch she collapsed back into hysteria. John exhaled dramatically and turned toward the door, his long brown coat billowing out behind him in a cloud of fabric while Rose managed to pull herself back together again.

'NYS, 5:30 sharp, Rose Tyler.' he called over his shoulder. With a final giggle, though she still couldn't smother the wide grin, she called after him

'Oi professor! You forgot something!' he turned in time to see his black specs come sailing at him through the air. He caught them without even tracking their trajectory, his mouth painted in a smirk as he pointed a finger at her.

'You, don't be late!'

'No, that's your department.' she reminded, chuckling as he threw his head back in a scoff and disappeared out the revolving glass doors.

The moment his form was gone from her sight, her smile slipped and she sighed heavily, wondering what on earth had possessed her to tease him like that. In the near five years she'd known John, they had had a very specific kinship and they'd discovered that they fit together like cogs in clockwork. They were close, always had been, and sure, she cared about him...hell, she'd go as far to admit subconsciously that she out rightly loved him...however, that just wasn't what their relationship was about and never had been.

For as well as she knew that man, she didn't know him at all. It was a very contradictory idea because, she knew a lot about him as a person and individual. She knew what he liked and what he didn't, what his favorite movie, book, color, and foods were. But those things were all topical, shallow, trivial. Anything beyond that, well they were safely locked away behind the incredible wall he had erected between them.

It was a wall that separated him from her and it was a wall that he'd never let her breach, always hiding who he was from her. She didn't know his reasons, but whatever they were, he had made it abundantly clear, without a word, that he was keeping her at arm's length, keeping her distant, never anything more then a friend and business partner.

At times it was frustrating because she knew, knew that between the two of them, she wasn't the only one that felt the intensity of the spark they shared. They had chemistry, _amazing, brilliant beautiful, _chemistry and they...they could be _so _much more...but nothing had ever come of it...and after four years of waiting...Rose highly doubted anything ever would.

She'd thought she'd accepted this long ago. She'd always respected his privacy and aloofness as a part of him, even if she didn't always agree with it. But today, she'd pushed that envelope, and though it hadn't been intentional, she still felt rather guilty about the whole thing because, even when she knew nothing about his background, she did know _him. _ He might have strutted out those doors, cool as a cucumber, but the truth was, he'd ran...ran from her...

Rose scrubbed her face irritably. Bloody _idiot, _her.


	3. Two--New Leads

**Two **

—New Leads—

Rose met him outside the NYS building at 5:31 just to see him glare at her minute of tardiness. She effectively shut him down by shoving a styrofoam cup into his palm that contained his favorite blend of tea...cinnamon banana. With an 'ooo' of glee, his eyes lit up brightly, sipping down the scalding liquid which quickly burned his tongue...like always. He mumbled about the fact that they made it too bloody hot and she returned the snarky comment that it was called HOT tea for a reason..which in turn earned her a death glare. Then the duo were heading into the lift and up to the third floor where DI Mickey Smith's office was located. Rose waved to Donna Noble as she approached her cubicle.

'Rose Tyler!' the ginger woman greeted, her blue eyes shimmering with intelligence and independence. 'Would it kill you to pop by for a visit every now and then?' she demanded, hands on her hips and Rose chuckled as she was tugged into a bone crushing hug against said red head.

John just stood off at a distance, leaning against the wall with his hands shoved casually into the pockets of his brown coat. He'd known Donna only slightly longer then he'd known Rose and was one of his dearest friends. Of course, there brand of friendship might cause a few eyebrows to raise as it was based on sarcastic jabs, insulting barbs and a constant on going battle of wits.

When her blue irises found him they narrowed sharply, and he knew he was in for it. It had been nearly two weeks since they'd spoken last. In Donna's time frame, that was an eternity and completely unacceptable. Her hands were back on her hips as she deftly strode toward him, all sass and cheek. Or as was the expression in America, _Hell in high heels._

'And where the _hell _have _you _been spaceman!' she demanded, brows shooting into her hair expectantly.

'Working.' he stated, keeping his answer simple, determined to show no fear...it wasn't working.

'And by working you mean, avoiding.' she countered rather indignantly, jabbing a finger into his chest and he groaned, rolling his eyes, while he shot Rose a small glare when she giggled into her hand.

'I've spent the last two weeks preparing for my lecture in Prague.' he tried to explain, but the fiery ginger was having none of it.

'And you think that justify's not pickin' up the phone every now and again!' she bellowed, smacking his arm hard enough to make him cringe and rub it for effect.

'Ow, Donna that hurt!' he whined, trying to ignore her all too satisfied smirk.

John glanced over at Rose with pleading eyes, however she quickly rose her hands in the air, silently informing him that she had absolutely no plans of getting involved, after all, she it wasn't like she had a death wish. And so, he stood there another five minutes, listening to his friend babble on, lecturing him on all the _proper _ways of being a mate, and not a self absorbed alien...which, to her, he might as well have been.

She had once referred him to the oddest oddities of the oddies...whatever the _hell _that meant...but that was Donna for you. But beyond all her sass and cheekiness, she was all bark and no bite...weeellll, _mostly _no bite. Yet, for all her rough edges, there was something that was so amazingly special and incredibly beautiful about her underneath. He smiled with quite fondness, as she continued her rant...His dearest Donna Noble.

'Alright, alright, I said I was sorry!' he pouted, holding up his hands in surrender.

'I swear, they call you an adult but you act more like a five year old boy then a thirty-five year old man!' she commented, causing his eyes to widen in offense.

'Oi, I wont be thirty-five for another two months, so don't push it ginger!' Donna snickered and Rose joined, causing him to slump with defeat. 'Okay, how about dinner?' he asked. 'I'm leaving for Prague on Saturday and have my dissertation on Sunday, so Friday is the only time I've got available.'

'I guess I can manage that, though I'll have to check with my schedule.' she sniffed, looking at her nails, as though she weren't overly concerned about it, or secretly beaming inside. He snorted in silent humor and shook his head as she added, 'I'll get back to you later this evening.'

'Fine.' he mumbled, as though he were highly upset and offended about the whole ordeal. But this was the game they played, her and him.

Truth be told, neither one was really upset at anything...more like it had been there way of saying, her: I miss you and we should get together soon. Him: I know, me too, and I'm sorry it's been so long. Of course, neither one of them were gonna come right out and say it...that was just cliché and cheesy. Rose finally broke in, dispelling the lightening bolts they were shooting at each other and asked,

'Is Mickey in?'

'Oh yea,' Donna nodded, turning her attention toward the blond. 'He'll be happy to see you two, I've never seen that boy so stressed out.' she commented offhandedly, her eyes drifting in the direction of the young DI's office, concern lacing her expression.

'It's the new DI isn't it?' John asked and Donna sighed.

'Yea, I'm pretty sure she's the one ruffling his feathers, though he hasn't said as much.' she replied. Then she glanced back at them. 'If I were you two, I'd be careful about poking around when she's about.' she warned. 'Sharp one, she is, and from what I can tell, quite possessive. She wants this case solved and has been tearing her claws into it almost as hard as you two have. In just two days, she's managed to come up with more on the Doctor then I've seen anyone do in the past five years, and that's saying something seeing as you two nearly managed to catch him once.'

Rose's eyes widen at this, though she missed the way John's eyes seemed to darken and storm at this new information.

'What!' she cried in alarm.

'What did she find, exactly?' John asked, his tone becoming decidedly steel and Donna glanced up at him curiously.

'I don't rightly know.' the ginger confessed with a sigh, 'Mickey hasn't really said.' Her eyes then drifted toward Rose. 'But, he might tell you.' she shrugged 'Worth a shot at least.' Rose had to agree with that, but even so, she didn't like where any of this was going. It felt like this new DI was stepping all over her and John's turf.

'What's her name anyway?' she asked.

'Martha.' Donna replied. 'Martha Jones.'

They spoke with Donna a few more minutes before heading down the row of cubes that lead to Mickey's office. Wrapping her knuckles twice on his closed door, she was answered almost immediately by a gruff 'Come in!' She and John exchanged glances, before Rose slowly cracked the door and poked her head inside.

'Hello.' she cautiously greeted. The moment Mickey's Smith's eyes fell on his ex-girlfriend's figure, his pensive face instantly lit up.

'Rose!' he called, completely beside himself with delight. And seconds later he was out of his chair and across the room, gathering her into a tight hug. 'It's great to see you!' He pulled away, ushering her and John inside, closing the door behind them. 'Hiya boss!' he greeted the professor cheerfully, warmly wrapping his hand in a friendly handshake. 'Mighta known you'd be along.' John laughed.

Yea, when the Doctor struck, it was a given that he and Rose wouldn't be too far behind to investigate. They plopped down in front of his desk, taking up the two chairs available and while Mickey sat back down, John helped himself to the bowl of candy sitting on his cluttered desk, noting that it was still half empty from the last time they'd dropped by. Did no one eat this stuff besides him?

'How you holding up Mickey-mick?' John asked, not mincing words while he popped a jelly baby into his mouth, sucking on it's sticky goodness almost greedily. The young DI shrugged, throwing up a hand.

'I gotta be honest,' he began, lifting up one of the thicker files in the mountain littered across his desk. 'Last few days have been rough.'

'Rough how?' Rose asked, and he tossed her the file.

'_She's _rough.' he nodded, pointing to the picture of a pretty young British-African woman who was no more then twenty-five. 'Young, green, willful and ambitious. Make's for a great cop _but _she's been causing quite a stir too...making her teammates feel a bit overwhelmed and inferior under the barrage of her straitlaced attitude and the storm she's taken this case with. For many of them, it's all too much too fast, and they don't know her well enough to trust her or rely on her methods. It doesn't help that she's not exactly a team player either.'

John stroked his chin thoughtfully. Good for a cop, but not a leader and yet, still...

'Donna said that she's been making more progress then anyone else whose touched the Doctor's case though.' he pointed out and Mickey nodded.

'Yea, and in record time, hence the inferiority complex of her subordinates, though, I really don't think that's Martha's goal' he mused, leaning closer to them from the other side of his desk. 'I think she truly believes that justice prevails and in her mind, this guy's been on the streets for far too long and has gotten away with his crimes too many times. Now he needs to face the music and she's hell bent on being the one to make him hear it.'

'Ahh...' John mumbled, distractedly absorbing the material in front of him.

She was born in lower London, Kensington in fact, and had gone to the Ivy league school in Oxford. She was a...his eyes widened curiously while he suddenly glanced up at the DI, and his former student.

'She's a certified medical doctor?' Mickey nodded solemnly and Rose blinked in awe.

'Well if she's a doctor, then why'd she go fuzz?' she asked. Mickey shrugged.

'Not clear on that exactly, and she hasn't thought to share.'

John just stared at the file, pouring over it's content thoroughly and committing it to his eidetic memory. There was something familiar about her...something...but he couldn't place a finger on it...but those eyes, he'd seen them before...seen _her _before...but...a hand on his shoulder jolted him out of his thoughts and his eyes snapped up to Rose, startled.

'John?' she asked, concern lacing her voice and he realized that she must have called him more then once.

'Sorry.' he said, clearing his throat and gesturing toward the folder. 'She seems familiar to me somehow.'

'You know her?' Rose asked startled and he shrugged, not really sure how to answer that.

'I don't know, but I'm certain I've seen her face before...somewhere.' he glanced up at Mickey. '

'Where is she now?' he asked and Mickey frowned.

'She's at the crime scene, checking up the new lead she found.'

'You said she'd been making waves with this case, What exactly _did_ she find?' John inquired, leaning further over the desk calendar. Rose, too, leaned closer and Mickey blinked at them both his eyes shifting nervously between them before he finally answered,

'A phrase. Two words, ' he told them, his eyes locking on them firmly now, 'Bad Wolf.'

Rose's brows knit in confusion. Bad Wolf? What the hell did _that _mean? She glanced over at John to get his opinion on the matter but the moment her eyes fell to him, she froze in shock. His face was ashen white and there was a fear etched deep in the core of his honey irises unlike anything she'd ever seen before. A fear that gripped her heart acutely, sending terrible shivers coursing down her spine.

A second later, he was out of his seat, so abruptly that the chair fell backward, collapsing on the floor behind him. Then, without a word, he spun on his heels and exited the office, leaving both of them breathless, stunned and staring at each other in complete bafflement.


	4. Three--Infiltration

**A/N: Okay, first of all, thanks to all those who are following the story, I'm glad you're enjoying it. For my reviewers, also a big thank you, encouragement and constructive criticism are always appreciated. This chapter see's the first appearance of Martha Jones! That being the case, I feel I gotta make a few things clear. First, no, she's not exactly painted in a favorable light, sorry. (well, you'll see) Secondly, just for the record, I **_**don't **_**hate Martha. She was a very smart, brilliant and courageous character. Thirdly, I'm not the type to bash any character I don't particularly care for, that being said, if I don't like a character in the series, (**_**typically) **_**I won't have them in the story at all. Anyway, all that jazz out and explained, I hope you enjoy the following chapter. **_**Cheers!**_

**Two**

_ —Infiltration—_

Outside, John Smith was breathing hard, his hands grabbing the low wall under the revolving sign so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Bad Wolf...Bad Wolf...those two words, following him everywhere he went..._Bad Wolf..._

'John? Are you okay?' a petite and cautious voice called from behind him, causing his heart to sink and his eyes slid closed. Rose.

Yea, he had sort of dashed out of there hadn't he, not a word of explanation on his lips. Of course she'd worry. Unfortunately, it left him with the terrible obligation of having to actually regale an account for his behavior and that...that was something he _couldn't _do. She'd never believe him anyway. With a deep sigh, he steeled himself against the nippy weather, tucking the phrase into the deep recesses of his mind that he'd contemplate later, before he turned around and faced her.

'Sorry about that.' he whispered, offering her a weak smile. 'I just...I remembered where I knew her face from.' he told her, which was only a partial lie because, in truth, he really did. Rose took a cautious step forward.

'What, you did?' He hummed and nodded, stepping closer toward her.

'About three years ago, there was a homicide case in lower Kensington, a case that went unsolved. It involved a girl named Adeola. She was found in a dark alley by her twin sister, she'd been brutally raped and butchered and perp was never caught.' Rose's hands flew to her mouth, tears forming in her eyes as she connected the dots. 'Martha Jones is her sister.' he finished, his eyes solemn and sad because, what there wasn't much that was more tragic then that.

'Oh my god.' she breathed, choking back a sob, 'No wonder she joined the force.'

He gravely nodded. Yes, it explained a lot...all except why she was following the doctor's exploits so closely. Apparently, this wasn't lost on Rose either because her next question stated his cloistered thought.

'But, the doctor's a thief, not a murderer.' she argued.

'That's very true,' he began as sudden thought occurred to him, 'but he is a case that has been pervasive for the past eight years. DI Jones could simply being going after criminal's with a long history of being ghosts, which the doctor definitely falls into the category of and, at the moment, is the most high profile of them all.' he pointed out reasonably and Rose hummed, biting her lip, considering this.

'Well if that's the case, I intend to crack this open long before she gets the chance to.' she said with a determination that made him smile. She was absolutely adorable when she was being possessive.

'Well then, there is a crime scene that awaits up Miss Tyler,' he said, waggling his brows while he offered his elbow. 'If you're up for it.' Her mouth split into that tongue in teeth grin that made his heart beat just a little bit faster, and linked her arm through his.

'John Smith, that is a _ridiculous_ question.' she admonished and he laughed as they skipped down the sidewalk, arm in arm, heading toward the tube.

DI Martha Jones wasn't happy to see the two new faces arrive on her crime scene. She had been told about these two and how DI Mickey Smith frequently allowed them to waltz on the premisses. A few of her own people, Jake, Clara and Lynda, were already heading over to greet them.

Staring at them now, watching them cross the yellow tape as though they owned it, she could see that they'd likely become the thorn in her side, bane of her existence..._trouble _with a capital T. This was _her _case not theirs, and unwarranted help wasn't welcomed. It was time she set the record straight for them.

With a stiff sigh, she went to meet them. The moment the trio saw her making her way toward their group they split...good, she thought to herself with a small smirk. It was nice to know that she was making some very decisive ripples in the pool that were not questioned, and readily accepted.

The man, John Smith she believed it was, made her entrance a mile off and offered her a charming grin that would be absolutely earth shattering if she'd met him anywhere else but on her crime scene, crossing her onto her turf. As such, all it did for her at the moment was make her grow colder and her face become that much more steely.

'You must be DI Jones.' he greeted, extending a hand. She ignored it pointedly, staring at both of them hard.

'What are you doing on my crime scene?' she demanded, folding her arms over her chest.

'Nice to meet you too.' Mr. Smith retorted dryly and it was more then annoying to see a note of humor paint his disarming brown eyes. 'I'm John, this is Rose.' he continued, gesturing between him and the pretty young blond on his arm. Her eyes narrowed. What exactly did he think this was, a game?

'Mr. Smith, I know who you and Miss Tyler are and am well aware of how DI Smith allows you both to prance across the crime scene tape without previous authorization. However, while that is his prerogative on _his _crime scenes, it will not be tolerated on mine. Therefore, unless either of you has managed to legally acquire a badge in the last week or so, I'll thank you to turn around and go back the way you came.' she stated flatly, pointing toward the crime tape.

Rose's face fell into a deep scowl. Why that...however, John's arm suddenly tightened around hers, obviously sensing her sudden tension, and he smiled tightly up at the DI, but she saw it in his eyes, hard as diamond and cold as ice.

'Very well DI, Rose and I meant no infringement. But, you should know, and probably already do, that we have been consultants on this case for the past four years together, piecing clues about the identity of the doctor and the significance of what he takes which, are usually very rare and flawless gems of great value though, not always. However what _is _the same MO is the fact that it's always a closed room case with no evidence of _how _he manages to break in and steal the targeted item in the first place. There's never any tampering of any kind. In fact, not certain if you know _this _or not, but all that _is _known about the doctor has been the curtsey of your's truly.' he declared, again motioning between him and Rose.

Lightening sparked between the duo, hot and vengeful. It was a turf war in it's own terms and Martha Jones found herself clenching her jaw at John Smith's barrage. He was informing her that they had been there first and had been the ones to start the ball moving and gaining momentum to begin with...essentially, he was reminding her..._nicely _but bluntly, whose case this _truly _belonged to. But Martha Jones was by no means a push over and didn't like threats. And so, she returned the candid smile, her voice turning glacial as she unconditionally stated,

'I'll be sure to keep that in mind, Mr. Smith. Good day.' Then she whipped around, leaving them behind, a storm blazing sharply behind her eyes. She'd been right, John Smith was Trouble.

'Well that was useless.' Rose seethed as they strode away, a cloud brewing over her head.

She didn't like the DI, not one bit. Her story was tragic, yes, but that didn't give her the right to act like a total and complete _bitch _to the two people who had pioneered the whole damn operation to begin with. To her amazement, John just laughed beside her and her eyes darted up to him questioningly.

He merely grinned, placing a finger to her lips as motioned his head toward the direction of the lifts. Without a word, she followed him as he sharply turned into a side office and latched the door behind him. Getting low to the floor, he moved toward the other side of the desk and to where a small closet resided, opening the door, he quickly motioned her inside. Rose stared at him like he'd grown another head.

'Are you crazy?' she hissed and was instantly shushed by another finger to his lips.

'Do you wanna see the crime scene or not?' he asked plainly 'We aren't going to be able to while she's here but...' and she sighed because she knew he was right.

Rolling her eyes dramatically, she caved, getting on her hands and knees while she crawled into the cramped space. He followed, shutting the door behind them. It was only then did Rose Tyler truly appreciate _how _small the space was. She was uncomfortably wedged between the wall and John Smith, her face buried in his chest.

'Here, hang on a tic.' he whispered, his breath tickling her ear and she tried not to giggle.

Suddenly his arms were around her, pulling her body tightly against him. Rose's inhaled sharply, trying very hard _not _to pick up the scent of musk and earthiness that leaked from his camel hair jacket.

'Your legs.' he hissed, his voice hitched with mild discomfort.

Getting his meaning, Rose moved her legs from their incommodious position, and wrapped them on either side of John's hips, her knees bent at a slight angle. Oh was she glad that it was so dark because she was certain she was red from head to toe. His arms were pinned around her waist and his head pressed against her shoulder. If anyone saw them like this, they would most certainly get the wrong impression, of that she was sure.

'How long do we have to wait?' she asked, breathing as lightly as possible because every breath was him and it was doing terrible things to her insides.

'Oh, not too terribly long.' he mused and she hated the fact that he sounded completely unaffected by their current and most compromising predicament.

Of course, John was anything _but_ unaffected and was doing everything in his power to avoid over thinking it too much. If they'd stayed in the office, they could have been caught, locked or not and so, hiding in a locked office in a tiny closet was good insurance...it was an excellent strategy, but didn't help him right about now or his other little problem that was currently on the...ahem..._rise. _

He willed himself to stay calm and placed himself in detached frame of mind that was controlled, calculated, and ignored her lilac perfume, the fruity smell of her hair...oh good lord, was that..._banana?! _His meditative stance shattered...Ooh, not good, not good at all...and there went his problem again...he sighed in defeat...he just couldn't win.

He managed to keep it together for another ten minutes, reciting mathematical equations in his head as a distraction...until that is, she moved. It wasn't even much, just slightly, and in the dark, where neither of them could see, she couldn't have possibly known where her hand was going...and well, that did it, he was gone...he hissed sharply and her fingers instantly jerked away as though she'd been burnt, a few choice curses spilling from her mouth and a perfectly timed mumble of apology...well if she didn't know he was pretending to be unaffected before, it would most certainly be apparent to her now. Wasn't this going to be awkward tomorrow?

Mental note to self, he decided, never hide in a small closet with Rose Tyler _ever _again...he coming to that thin line where he his mind was skirting dangerously close to consider doing something he'd very much regret later...welll, when he said regret, he meant regret that he wouldn't regret it at all...He tried to shake the dicey thoughts from his mind, but, here they were, smooshed up against each other, It wasn't the easiest thing in the world to do.

The discomfort of the present situation was effectively forgotten the moment the sound of reverberating footsteps down the hallway outside the little office became audible. They exchanged a panicked gaze between the two of them, before two hand simultaneously found their marks across the other's mouth. Two pairs of hazel eyes drifted toward the door, waiting

'Has the whole of the museum been checked? That was DI Jones' voice, Rose recognized.

'Yes ma'am, every floor, all clear.' and that was Jake.

'Alright, post two guards at either entrance and two guards roaming the halls of every floor at fifteen minute intervals. Put a fifth man in the security room. I want those cameras monitored studiously.' she ordered and Rose could almost see the sour expression twisting her pretty features and mentally growled.

Why couldn't that bloody woman simply recognize that their goal was the same as hers. Catch the doctor, wasn't that what any of this was all about anyway? Jake said something in reply, though Rose never caught it, then the voices gradually faded, leaving them alone in silence again.

'We'll wait ten more minutes.' he told her, his warm breath caressing her neck and Rose bit her lip, dutifully ignoring the gentle flutter of her stomach as she nodded, not daring to trust her mouth at the moment.

The minutes crept by without further incident and finally, after what seemed like an eternity, John reached up and twisted the handle, spilling both of them into an unceremonious heap in the middle of the shaggy carpet. The light was blinding and Rose had to squint to keep it from hurting her eyes. She glanced over at her partner in crime, noting his bedraggled appearance and started giggling softly.

'What?' he demanded, his brows shooting into the sweaty mop he called hair.

'You look terrible.' she commented and he snorted.

'Thanks,' came the dry reply as he reached up, pulling a stray piece of blond that was sticking straight up in her line of sight. 'You don't look much better sunshine.' he informed, and smirked as her mouth fell indignantly, her fingers instantly running up to smooth the wild strands down, all the while attempting to suppress her laughter. Quite the pair they were.

John reminded her that silence was still of the utmost importance with other finger to his lips. Slowly detangling their legs, they crawled toward the exit, carefully clicking through the latch, cracking the heavy wooden door. The hallway was clear.

Motioning a hand to Rose, she quietly followed him down the corridor and back toward the large room they'd been in earlier. At the entrance, John grabbed her arm, halting her progress. With a finger, he pointed to the security cameras in front of them.

'I count four.' she told him, gesturing to each one expertly. This hadn't been there first stint of breaking into a crime scene after all.

'Five.' he corrected, pointing to one hidden in a far corner that was concealed in a potted plant. Spotting it, Rose nodded her compliance.

As a doctor of both forensics and criminology John knew his way around a security system like the back of his hand. This proved highly useful when they underwent these little adventures. He could spot hidden cameras around a room better then anyone she'd ever seen. As such wasn't too difficult for him to bi-pass and navigate his way through them unscathed.

For several moments, he watched them in silence, studying their trajectory, rhythm, movement patterns, order and synchronizations. Finally he nodded, reaching for her hand which he gripped tightly.

'Right, each one runs on a 25 second interval full rotation.' he told her, his eyes following each swiveling head with hawk like eyes. 'And then there's are hidden little friend over their.' he said, pointing to a potted plant twenty feet from their position. Rose could just make out the slight sheen the light splayed across the obscure lens.

'Insurance I take it?' A smirk split his lips as he glanced down at her.

'A decoy.' he rectified and her eyes instantly sparkled, while she followed his train of thought.

'A blind spot, and our window.'

'Precisely. Okay Rose Tyler, follow me and stay low.' Gripping her hand tighter, he began to move, gracefully scurrying past the swiveling cameras attached to wall.

While she'd done this before with him a handful of times, it had been quite a while and she'd forgotten just how exhilarating it felt. Her heart pounded in her chest, her legs burned from exertion, but nothing could wipe the massive grin from her face, her feet move in perfect harmony with John's. It was like a dance. Three cameras later, they had safely made it into their blind spot's field.

'Brilliant!' John cried, pulling two sets of latex gloves from his pockets 'Molto bene!' Tossing a set to her, he turned to her exuberantly, his eyes sparkling with adventure lust. 'Alright, Mickey-mick said that DI Jones found something on the scene of the crime, a phrase...'

'Bad Wolf.' Rose supplied, missing how John physically cringed as she spoke the cryptic words.

'Yes, well I would like to see these for myself.' he mused and Rose nodded in agreement, snapping the band of her rubber gloves loudly.

'Me too because, for as far as I know, nothing like that has _ever _come up in relation to the doctor.' John only hummed. 'What would a phrase like that even mean?' she wondered aloud. Her companion's eyes snuck a side glance at her, and he shrugged.

'Not sure.' he told her, which wasn't a lie. The words might follow him, but he never had figured out what they meant 100%. Oh he _knew _all about the Bad Wolf, but it didn't explain how they kept cropping up everywhere he went...'Could be some sort of archaic rite or code...' he suggested, though he knew very well that that wasn't the case in the slightest. However this seemed to satisfy Rose and she nodded thoughtfully.

'But why would the Doctor use something like that?'

Well she had him there. That was a question he couldn't rightly answer because, truth be told, he didn't have one. All he could do was shrug.

'I have no idea.'

While they spoke, they scanned the room, searching diligently for the words and finally, Rose spotted them hiding behind a column, splattered across the stone wall.

'There!' she pointed and John's eyes instantly followed. A satisfied grin formed across his face and he inclined his head toward Rose.

'What do ya say to a closer look Miss Tyler?'

'I say what is your skinny arse still doing on this side of the room?'

'Oi, I do have a skinny arse, don't I?' he mused, glancing at his backside from over his shoulder.

Rose just grinned, rolling her eyes. Glancing over at her, he winked and gave a single nod.

'Get ready to move.' he instructed, grabbing her hand again. 'Once we get over there, that pillar will give us cover from the cameras. Got it?'

Her head dipped in acknowledgment and he blew out a low breath. Well alright then. Squeezing her hand he counted back in his head, before giving her arm a sharp tug.

'Go!' he shouted, right before the two of them were tearing across the red carpet, bee lining for the pillar. 15 seconds later, the two oxygen deprived humans were hunched over, hands on their knees.

'I think I may be out of shape.' Rose lamented and John flashed her a cheeky grin.

'What, with all the running we do?'

'Oh shut-up, you!' she bellowed, smacking him playfully in the arm. 'I wasn't asking for your opinion was I?'

'May do.' he retorted and chuckled as she childishly stuck her tongue out at him.

Both quickly grew serious again while they moved to conclude their business. Pulling his mobile from his pocket, he walked up to the wall where the letters were carved deeply into the wood. Lining it up, he quickly snapped four pictures of the phrase in four different angles before

Rose came to stand beside him, staring at the carving in wonderment. She made a mental note to do more research on it as soon as she got back to her flat. Tugging on his arm gently, she asked,

'Ready?' He silently nodded, then chanced a glance down at his watch. Rose watched his face unexpectedly drain of color and a bolt of fear gripped her as anxiety swelled in the core of his eyes. 'John?' she hissed expectantly.

His adam's apple bobbed while he swallowed. The security guard, he'd forgotten about the security guard. Doing routine fifteen minute checks and the fifteen minutes ended a minute ago. The acute sound of keys echoed through the entirety of the room, alarming them both and a swift panic filled Rose's whiskey eyes as she snapped toward him gravely.

'John!'

'Shit!' he swore, squeezing his eyes tightly. How could he have been so stupid! Quickly pocketing his phone, he grabbed Rose's arm and dove behind the pillar, just as the guard stepped into the room.


	5. Four--Dinner with Donna

**A/N: okay, just a real quick note here. First, again, thanks for all the support and feed back, much obliged. **_**Molto Bene! **_**Secondly, from here on out, for the next little while, I probably wont be able to update **_**nearly **_**as much as before. Probably no more then once a month (if that). I'm in the process of moving and have **_**shit **_**load of stuff to do in seven months. So, apologies in advance. I do make this promise though, I **_**will **_**finish the story. You have my word. Anyway, enjoy the chapter, and as always, **_**Cheers!**_

**Three**

—_Dinner with Donna—_

Rose froze, not daring to move a muscle from where she had been pinned against John's chest, her back cradled snugly against the front of his frame, his arm coiled tightly around her waist, while they both attempted to meld as deeply into the pillar as they physically could. The footsteps of DI Jones' guard came closer and Rose attempted to stifle a gasp, John helped by covering her mouth with his hand.

The footsteps drew closer still, tip tap, tip tap, tip tap...heading straight for their position. At this rate, he'd find them because there was no where they could escape to and not be detected. Well wasn't this a right fine mess he drug them in. Tip tap, tip tap...Rose tensed against him and the hand around her waist coiled tighter because he knew that a part of her was considering how successful the idea of bolting was...the guard was nearly on top of them now and the sound of their intertwined heart beats echoed loudly in a cloud around them. Her hands suddenly flew up to his, pressing it harder against her mouth, as though to ensure she wouldn't even accidentally squeak.

'Hey, Williams, where are you?' a voice suddenly boomed, crackling and staticy...a walky-talky. PC Williams answered seconds later.

'Makin' my rounds Pond, I'm in the gem room now.'

'Yea well, we've got something of a situation down here, a bloke in a long navy coat, oxford and suspenders is making a bit of trouble and I need all available officers down to the commons now.' PC Pond replied.

'Roger.' Williams replied, 'Well it's all clear up here so I'll be makin' my way down toward you.' he added, his voice and footsteps growing further and further away. Both Rose and John immediately released a low breath, glancing at each other in relief.

'Rose, I think that's our exit cue.' he whispered into her ear and she could only nod, her brows disappearing into her hair line.

'Funny, I was just thinking the same thing.' With that, the duo quickly monitored the cameras and ran back the way they came. Five minutes later, they were running down the corridor, dodging cameras, and heading for the roof.

'Exactly _how _are we suppose to escape this way!' she asked, earnestly beginning to question her friend's sanity. He grinned manically over at her while they continued to run.

'What, don't tell me that you don't trust me, Rose Tyler!' he cried in mock hurt.

'I'm seriously beginning to wonder the logic in that.' she retorted but continued to fly up the stairs behind him, clipping hotly at his heels.

Moments later they burst into the cool night air of London and Rose took in deep gulps of it, relishing in the nice spring breeze that was lightly blowing across the graveled area.

'Come on, this way.' he said, tugging her in the direction of another building that wasn't too terribly far away.

They passed silver stacks watching steam billow up from them. Coming to one end of the building, John released her hand and began searching edge of the structure for something. Rose quickly realized that he was searching for a fire escape. None of the new buildings had the ones leading to the roof anymore, they were antiquated and out of date. But a few of the older ones still did. This particular structure had been constructed in the mid 80's.

Rose smiled, watching her companion work. He always had a back up plan for everything it seemed. This quality about him had always been so impressive to her. This morning, he'd never even considered the possibility that they wouldn't be able to see the crime scene. He didn't know anything about DI Jones, or the fact that she had taken over the case. He had no idea that they would have to break in...nothing was planed...and yet, here they were.

They'd hidden in an office, and then a closet. He knew the cameras, he knew the decoys, he knew about the roof and deduced that there would be an exit here...he did this all, planned it all in mere minutes, making it up as he went because, for John Smith, the best plans were always the ones that were considered mad and crazy...'winging it' as it were. And still, he had the ability to remain cool headed under pressure, always having a back up plan though he never really did, always prepared to run, (it was why he wore trainers, he'd told her once). And for as much of him remained a mystery to her, this simple truth prevailed...He was amazing and simply brilliant...this man.

'Rose, I found it come on!' Turning toward his voice she grinned widely, dashing toward where he stood several feet away.

He was leaning down over the metal rail, probably trying to course the best way to descend. She sped toward him, more then a little eager to get out of here. But fifteen feet away from his figure, she caught a glint of silver from the the light of the building adjacent to theirs.

Raising a curious brow, she deviated her course, quietly striding over to the fallen object and crouching beside it. Baffled, she picked it up, examining it in the light. It was an odd thing, long, silver and tubular, with a blue jewel near the center of the top. It was surprisingly light in the palm of her hand. But the real question was what the hell was it?

She was turning it over, to get a more rounded appraisal when John's voice reached out to her again, and she abruptly stood, shoving the cylinder into her jacket pocket. She'd show John later, but for now, they needed to focus on getting the hell out of there. Joining him at the border of the roof, she quickly shimmied down the ladder, him trailing not too far behind and both of them swiftly glided to the ground, jettisoning into the night, hand in hand and the laughter of victory on their lips.

It was late by the time Rose returned to her flat...nearing midnight. Researching the words Bad Wolf and the odd cylinder was momentarily forgotten in favor of the prospect of a nice warm bath and a cozy cocoon of blankets she could burrow and nestle in. After all, there was always tomorrow.

However, the next day came and went in a blur. She was overloaded with work at her office and could barely find a free moment for even her daily mug of coffee through all the mounds of paper work. Around one, she finally got a small break and instantly dialed John's cell. His clipped voice came over the line, sharp and frazzled and it didn't take much deduction to understand that his day was about as stressful as hers right now.

She had asked if they could get together at some point during the day because there was something she had wanted to show him, but he reminded her that he was making the final preparations for his lecture in Prague and would be leaving the following morning, and then there was his dinner with Donna that evening. She had been disappointed, but also understanding.

Finally, at five o'clock, she called it a day and made a bee-line out the door, wanting nothing more then to be out of her business attire and in front of the telly with a nice cold beer in her hand. With that thought in mind, she quickly slipped into the back of a cab, directing it to the south of London, Kensington.

In her haste however, Rose failed to notice the tall man standing across from her office building, his blue eyes observing her every move intently. Seconds after her cab disappeared over the ridge, he dug his hands deep into his pockets and turned, heading in the opposite direction. His long navy coat billowing out behind him.

John Smith entered into the Chinese restaurant at exactly 7:02 pm, and waded through the throng of tables to find Donna waiting for him at a booth in the far left corner of the room.

'Oi spaceman, over here.' she called, waving her hand at him.

Acknowledging her, he quickly shifted his heading, and sat down across from her. A waiter appeared not long after and took their drink orders before leaving them to their own devices.

'So, did you find out anything more about the new DI then?' she asked, sipping her water while she waited for the sake they ordered.

'A little.' he told her, fiddling with the packaged chopsticks in front of him. 'She's a bit of a tough costumer.' he confided and Donna snorted behind her glass.

'It must be a particularly terrible blow to that over inflated ego of yours.' she mused, a playful twinkle sparkling behind her periwinkle eyes. 'Haven't lost your charm have you, eh John?' He scowled at her and sniffed with an air of haughty indifference.

'I will have you know, Ms. Noble, that my _charm _is perfectly in tact.' Donna just smirked and rolled her eyes.

The waiter returned with their rice wine and took their orders before he was summarily dismissed with a wave of the ginger's hand.

'So, any new developments then?' she persisted, pouring them both a little saucer. John exhaled, and in deflate shook his head.

'Not particularly, no.' he mumbled, sipping the murky liquid and relishing the slight burn in the back of his throat. 'I've been so busy finishing my preparation for Prague that I haven't really had time to look into the matter any further. Doubt I'll have anytime while I'm there this weekend either.' He confessed and Donna could see that he wasn't in anyway shape or form happy about this.

Typically, John _loved_ to travel, to visit new places, meet new people but, at the moment, Prague was the last thing on his mind. It was the same as always, whenever traces of the Doctor showed up, Rose and John were ready to drop everything to follow a lead and, with any luck, come that much closer to solving the riddle behind the evasive ghost. This whole thing was their baby. He shrugged, tugging at the lapels of his beloved brown and blue pins.

'But, something tells me that by the time I get back, Rose will already have a stack of information waiting for me.' Donna grinned up at him, listening with some amount of interest. That was probably true.

While John was the muscles, and human Swiss army knife, Rose was the computer whiz and researcher extraordinaire. She could find information on just about anything and make something out of nearly nothing. It was partially this reason, that they made such a dynamic team.

Speaking of which...Donna cleared her throat before her eyes settled on him sharp and pointed. She could easily see that her companion caught this by the way his brows had furrowed and she knew he understood where she was going to be leading this conversation even before she had said anything. He was talented like that...talented about a great _many _things.

However, for as brilliant as a man as John Smith was, there was a greater part of him that was incredibly daft, clueless and utterly oblivious...so much so that there were times she wondered just what planet he _did _originate from because it was most certainly _not _earth.

'So what did you want while I'm in Prague?' he asked rapidly, his eyes suddenly finding his napkin on the table very fascinating and she smirked, knowing _exactly _what he was up to. 'I know how much you _love _souvenirsand...wellll, I say _love _but you know that you...'

'John...' she began, knowing it would take a few minutes before he finally gave up.

So stubborn, that one. She sighed, listening to him babble and prattle on about souvenirs and shops and what he could get and what he couldn't and then of course he wondered what sort of assortment of jams they would have and there was bound to be flavors that you couldn't find in good 'ol England that he might try and...

'John!' she snapped, effectively getting his attention and all at once the noise stopped, his eyes nervously drifting to meet hers. Donna cleared her throat. 'Five years is coming up.' she reminded, as though it were nothing at all.

For a moment, he looked as though he were going to pull the 'I don't know what you are talking about card' but her hard glare dispelled any such idea from forming in the gigantic head of his and he sunk down into his seat, sulking. Oh no, that man wasn't getting out of this so easily...nor would she _ever _let him forget.

'5th of March, you remember don't you, spaceman?' she cooed and he scowled, remaining stubbornly silent.

Well alright then, if he wanted to play hard ball with her, then so be it. If he really wanted her to spell it out for him then who was she to disappoint?

'Two words,' she stated flatly, ticking off both fingers. 'Rose. Tyler.' John groaned, sinking even lower in his seat...if that were possible.

'Donna...' he began, but she cut him off, holding up a hand, a wave of anger suddenly washing over her.

He was doing it..._again. _Well not this time! A year ago, they'd made a deal and she sure as hell wasn't going to allow him to tuck tale and run, now.

'No!' she snapped, her voice razor sharp. 'John Smith, don't you dare try to weasel your way out of this! You agreed to this squarely and I gave you one year to do it on your own, and isn't it just wizard that you _haven't_ _moved_. Not a goddamn inch!'

He sighed deeply, his eyes filling with defeat because, he knew he'd made a promise, however, to be perfectly honest, he never thought he'd still be here to keep it. If he had known that he'd still be kicking around London, still have her by his side, smiling her smile, walking her walk, being her charming Rose Tyler self that brightened his day up just a little more every time he saw her, he would _never _have said it.

He was suppose to be stronger then this...and until he met her, he always had been. But she...she was the reason to live personified and giving _that _up...it wasn't nearly as easy as he'd originally thought it to be.

'Donna,' he began...his voice tight and tense, almost croaking...'I _can't_.' Ooo, if looks could kill...

'What do you mean, _can't.' _her tone was hard as steel and her eyes matched.

Fortunately, the waiter returned right at that moment with their dinner and John wasted no time shoveling food into his mouth, making it impossible to speak. Donna just watched him over her every bite, eyes cold as ice. He deserved it, he supposed.

Five years ago, when he'd first met Rose, it had been accidental. He had ruined his favorite shirt in a scuffle with some street punk, and he saw the need to replace it. Back then, she worked in a department store called Henrik's. She had been the one to help him find a suitable shirt and he had been immediately taken by her sincere interest in him and other customers that she helped.

There were several patrons that even knew her by name and Rose had remembered each and everyone of them in turn, including random details pertaining to each one and their families. For some reason, this simple, genuine innocence in a world that was so corrupt was like flipping a switch for him, and for the first time since...a _long _time, John Smith felt like he could breathe. He'd come back to that store several more times under the guise of adding a new piece to his wardrobe, when in all reality, it was really just to see her.

Meanwhile, Rose began quickly picking up on this and it didn't take long before their conversations drifted from topics of men's fashion and what tie went best with what shirt, to what foods they liked and what foods they didn't and perhaps a list of those that they should try...movies were soon added to the roster, then books and general likes and dislikes...this was followed by opinions on the world...places they wanted to travel or had already been...to finally, hopes and dreams...and by that point, spending time together had become a regular occurrence outside of her work.

It wasn't much longer after that the he began to realize how inseparable they'd become, and how much he valued her opinion and how lonely and bored he was when she wasn't present...he also begun to realize, albeit, _far _too late, what that meant exactly.

Not to mention that at that time, he'd been there in London for over a year which was unheard of. He was a nomad, a wanderer and didn't settle or do domestic...and yet, here he was; five years of living in this city, working in this city, making friends, ties and attachments...it was all so surreal...and it was all because of her.

By the end of that first year, their relationship was heading into dangerous waters and it seemed that they were aiming for a thundering fall with no hope of stopping their decent...so when the case of the doctor blipped on her radar, he jumped at it, taking the chance to put a leash around them and reign them in a bit. It had worked for both of them, and ever since then, that had been the core of their kinship.

But Donna, Donna wasn't stupid and had pushed him toward Rose, knowing _exactly _what feelings he kept bottled up inside. Last year, she'd managed to finally corner him about it, and foolishly, he had promised her that he would do something about it by the fifth anniversary of knowing her. He'd reasoned that, by then, he'd be long gone, just like he should have been from the beginning...and yet, here he was, sitting across Donna once again, her cross eyes baring down upon him unscrupulously, waiting...waiting and he knew there was nothing he could do about it now.

He had had the window, the opportunity to escape, and he hadn't been strong enough to take it...no, because with out Rose Tyler, he was nothing...she was air, breath, life. She was a star, burning through his darkness and lighting his path...he revolved around her like the earth revolves around the sun...his world, his everything...she'd saved him...and he loved her for it...

'Oh my god.' she suddenly breathed, her eyes widening, her mouth falling from the sheer shock of an apparent epiphany. 'You never _were _going to, were you?'

If it was possible, John folded in on himself a little bit more, completely unable to meet those soul filled eyes. He was a terrible _terrible _human being...a tortured choke suddenly pierced the air and his heart crumbled just a little bit more...he was _soo_ going to hell for all of this.

'_Why!' _She demanded, her voice strained, desperate and he sighed, toying with one of his bamboo sticks. Yes, he supposed that was the question, wasn't it? Problem was, how could he even _begin _to explain? (A loaded question in itself)

'Donna...' he whispered, finally catching his breath, but she swiftly cut him off, her voice sharpening like shards of shredded glass.

'What are you so bloody afraid of, John!'

He remained still, his eyes glazed down at his abandoned Mongolian Beef. Her hand slammed on the table, upsetting the silverware, and causing him and the three tables nearby to jump.

'Look at me you skinny streak of nothing!' she bellowed, instantly pulling his eyes from the plate and into the two watery pools across from him. They were angry, so very angry. 'Is it because you think she doesn't care about you in return, because if _that's _your reason for being a moron, then you bloody well don't deserve her then!'

'That's just it, I _don't_, Donna.' he whispered, sighing softly. His eyes drifted out the window and to where a ominous set of storm clouds were beginning to form against the horizon. 'She doesn't deserve to be kept in the dark. She deserves the chance to shine. I...' he shook his head. 'I can't give her that.'

'What?' she asked, her tone suddenly baffled. 'John, what are you...'

'I'm not afraid that she doesn't reciprocate, it has nothing to do with that.' He told her, his eyes locking with hers again, and she inhaled sharply. The warmth from the brown pools had been completely extinguished, and in it's place was something cold and dark, empty and fathomless. Something that sent shivers up and down her spine and made her subconsciously cringe. Who was this man across from her...and what had he done with John?

'There are things, Donna, things about me that you don't know, that _she _doesn't know.' he whispered, It was soft, but clouded, clouded with a million storms and jagged bolts of lighting raged all around him in a kinetic halo.

Things she didn't know, that Rose didn't know? Everyone had secrets, even dark ones. Whatever they were, they couldn't be _that _bad. Did he honestly believe that Rose wouldn't love him in spite of these? But, he wouldn't even give her the decency to try.

'She'd love you anyway.' she replied, her harsh tone replaced with sympathy, and she reached across the table, taking his hand in his, reassuringly. However to her astonishment, he pulled it away, his eyes burning back at her while he sat up staunchly.

'It can't be that bad.' she intoned, amazed to hear the desperation lacing her own words. When had the conversation gone so south, so uncharted and torrential? The tempest of the air blazed in spikes and waves all around them, as did his frigid response.

'No, it's worse.' That was the end of it.

The mood suddenly shifted, _he _shifted and, once again began shoveling food into his mouth. His words grew light, the topic diverging to his up coming trip to Prague and the fact that she _still _had yet to tell him what she wanted from his visit. But his eyes, those fathomless, _haunted _eyes, were seared into her mind, blazing across the rows of memory. Before her, was John Smith, friend, Professor and all around good guy, though a bit of a nutter.

But whoever was here only seconds before, hadn't been him. No, that was someone else wearing John's body...eyes ancient, timeless, full of ice, fire and rage...a maelstrom of fear and hate, of deep loathing and terrible regret. Of someone who'd seen the world, and the world saw him then left him cold, decimated, and broken. And someone...someone Donna _never _wanted to meet again.

Rose was busy researching the term BAD WOLF. But sadly, other then some sort of cryptic legend, there was nothing on the subject. With a stout sigh, she scratched at the top of her head, where the elastic of the rubber band pulled her hair too tight and pushed herself away from the desk. Her eyes were bleary from hours of pouring over nonsense and her coffee was long since stale and cold.

Blowing a plume of air out through her fringe, she stood, grabbing her mug on her way toward her tiny kitchenette. Dumping out the nasty contents of it, she rinsed it out, setting it on the counter while she put the kettle on the stove, boiling fresh water, then pulled down her instant coffee granules. Picking at her old flannel shirt, she shuffled over to the window, her stocking feet skating against the wooden planks of her floor.

Reaching up, she grabbed the shade and began pulling it down, when she abruptly paused halfway, her eyes catching a figure standing across the street from her, half masked by the nighttime shadows. It was a man, tall, probably 6'0, who leisurely leaned against the lamp post, his hands shoved into the pockets of his long navy coat.

Rose squinted toward him curiously...what _was _he doing...the kettle's whistle pierced the air and she turned her head in the direction of the stove, momentarily forgetting about the figure in the fog. Returning her attention out the window, Rose blinked and gasped, startled to find that within the two seconds her head had turned, the stranger had disappeared completely. She glanced up and down the street, following the lamp light, but to no avail. He was gone.

Humming to herself lightly, the blond shrugged, pulling her window shade down the rest of the way before making her way back to her angry kettle. She had just spooned in two scoops of coffee when the bell to her door suddenly went off, causing her to jump nearly a foot in the air while issuing a small yelp as her hand slapped over her heart.

Just as quickly, she rolled her eyes at her own idiocy, and made her way to the door. Peeking through the peep hole, she was delighted to find John standing outside. With a wide grin, she flipped the lock and opened the door. He immediately returned the gesture, wiggling his fingers at her in hello.

'Hey, I thought you wouldn't be able to make it tonight!' she said, stepping aside to let him pass. 'Didn't you have dinner with Donna?'

His face grew curiously stiff as she mentioned this, but Rose just shrugged it off because he was, as usual, giving off the clear air that while, yes, something had happened, no, he wasn't going to discuss it. And if she _were _to ask if everything was alright or if _he _was alright...his answer would be same as it always was...she could even picture his voice saying it inside her head 'Oh Rose, you know me, I'm _always _alright...yea...okay..._sure_...so, it was simply best not to ask.

'Oh, I did, but uh, we cut it a bit short tonight.'

'unhuh.' she said, jutting out a hip while her hand fell on it comfortably. He shuffled on his feet nervously...Rose sighed...whatever...

'Wanna a cuppa?' she asked, disappearing back into the kitchenette to finish her coffee.

'Uh no thanks, I can't stay long.' he said quickly. Rose found him riffling through her notes when she reappeared with her own sky blue mug.

'Didn't find much.' she confided, taking a big sip. 'Just some sort of legend.'

'About what?' he mused and she shrugged. 'Some ancient nonsense about a golden goddess with the power to grant immortality.' she said and watched as John snorted, almost in irony...though whatever it was, was lost on her.

'Well, keep digging.' he told her, 'Never know what you might come up with.'

'Right-o' she said, offering a mock salute and for the first time since he entered her abode, he laughed. Good, laughter was good. She hated seeing him so serious. Clearing her throat, her eyes suddenly lit up as she reached for her coat, fishing through a pocket.

'Which reminds me. I found something rather interesting last night on the roof.' she informed, pulling the tubular device into her hand. John's brows abruptly shot into his hair.

'What is _that?_' he asked, and she shrugged.

'Not sure what it does, but watch this...' With that, she pressed a little black button on the side, and both watched the blue jewel suddenly glow and buzz to life.

John leaned away from it immediately, before more cautiously picking it up out of the palm of her hand, while he carefully examined it.

'And you found this on the roof, you said?'

'Yep.' she replied, offering a decisive nod. He turned it over and over, examining and studying every facet of it. 'Any ideas on what it is exactly?' Rose asked hopeful, watching him tweak and move it. John frowned, shaking his head.

'Not a clue. However, I may be able to learn a little about it back at my forensics lab.' he suggested as he held the small device up to the light, squinting through the brainy specs that had miraculously appeared on the bridge of his nose, and Rose grinned.

'Might do.' she replied, bumping him with her hip. Grinning down at her he winked.

'Well, alright then, Rose Tyler, I'll run some tests and let you know what I come up with.' he told her, slipping the device into his pocket. 'In the meantime, you look up more information on BAD WOLF and when I get back, we'll sit down and hash over all this.'

'Brilliant!' she said, flashing him another mock salute and just chuckled, rolling his eyes at her. 'Monday right?' she asked and he nodded.

'At 6pm.'

'Well then, at 6:30 on Monday, we'll have chips and pour over this our combined mental prowess, yeah?' she chimed and he grinned brightly.

'Oh yes!

'And...' she punctuated, holding up a finger and he groaned, knowing exactly what was to follow...'Then you can tell me all about your dissertation.' He threw back his head with a deep sigh, bouncing in a light pout...

'Rooosee' came the whine but she tuted him with another finger...

'Auht! No arguments, you!' John saw her exuberance and smiled fondly. Always did love criminal psychology, that one. He threw his hands up in dramatic defeat.

'Oh fine, you win!' She squealed and threw her arms around him in a quick hug.

'Well then, have a good trip then, and bring me back something amazing!' she called as he back tracked toward the door.

'What, bringing back my dissertation isn't enough?' he demanded innocently and she laughed, smacking his arm with the back of her hand.

'Hush you!'

He chuckled heartily, pulling her into another tight embrace, holding her a little longer then would be considered necessary, then pulled away and squeezed her hand.

'I'll see you on Monday.' he whispered. Without further ado, he turned down the hall, walking in the opposite direction.

Rose propped her head against her door jam as she watched him go with a content sigh. Monday then...Monday was their fifth anniversary...Monday and chips, their first date...Monday to celebrate, five years of running, five years of adventures, five years of hugs and holding hands, five years of the doctor, five years of impossible...she snorted softly, a moment of nostalgia filling her, memories of meeting, memories of him.

With a fond smile, she pushed herself back into the apartment and shut the door behind her. She just wished, after all this time, for all the impossible that they'd seen and done, wished that, for _once_, the impossible also included them. But that...that was just ridiculous.


End file.
